Engine.



J. A. MENARD.

APPLIUATIONBIIIIBLEIMAY 1l, 1910. 996,357 Patented June 27, 1911. 3SHEETS-SHEET A y um MW fu Q5 UW *Ik I 4 y l h I Y f3; I

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ENGINE.

APPLIOATIN FILED MAY l1. 1910.:

Patented June 27, 1911.

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.1. A. MENARD.

ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY l1, 1910.

996 357 Patented June 27,1911.

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UNTTED STATE@ PATENT FFTQE.

JOSEPH A. MENARD, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. MENARD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing atLos Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State ofCalifornia, have invented a certain new and useful Engine; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to engines, either gas, steam or fluid-pressureengines; and consists mainly in a novel and advantageous constructionand combination of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, whereby thepiston may be automatically partially rotated at the proper times toeectively open or close communication, through the single passageway inthe piston, between the cylinder and the inlet and outlet ports.

Objects of the invention are to provide simple and effective meanswhereby the gas, steam or fluid can be admitted to and pass out of thecylinder; to dispense with the ordinary valves and thereby avoid thetroubles attendant upon their use; to provide a construction wherebywear in the cylinder is minimized and evenly distributed and whereby thepiston rests well over the ports and acts to keep clean the interiorwall of the cylinder adjacent to the ports; to minimize the end thruston the piston rod at the time the piston is being rotated and to providesimple and effective means whereby the piston rod is rotativelyconnected with the sliding crosshead; and to provide novel and effectivemeans which shall act' positively to rotate the piston to variouspredetermined positions and permit of the best results with respect toopening and closing communication between the inlet and outlet ports andthe cylinder. i

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art from a consideration of the followingdescription of one of the forms of construction for a gas engineembodying the invention, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is a viewtaken on the line XS--X3 of Figs. 2, L1 and 6, some of the parts beingshown in full. Fig. L1 is a crosssectional view taken onthe line X4--X4of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 11, 1910.

Patented June 27, 1911.

Serial No. 560,747.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the major portion of themechanism for rotating the piston, looking in the direction of the arrow5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line XG-XS ofFigs. 1, 2 and 3. Fig. 7 is a partially seetional view of the means forconnecting the piston rod rotatively with the sliding crosshead, takenon line 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a view of one side of the cam andassociated parts of the mechanism for rotating the piston. Fig. 9 is acentral sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 8, some of the partsbeing shown in full.

The frame 2, of any approved form, may have mounted thereon the cylinder3 containing the piston l to which is attached the piston rod 5rotatively connected with the cross head 6 which latter may be slidablymounted in the guideways 7 in the frame. To crosshead 6 is pivotallyaflixed the connecting rod 8 which may be operatively connected with thecranks 9 and 10 0n shafts 11 and 12 to the last of which may be securedfly wheel 13.

At 14e` is indicated any suitable or approved ignition mechanism, and at15 is indicated any suitable or approved mechanism for governing theamount of the explosive mixture admitted to the cylinder.

As shown in Fig. 6 the admission port 16 and theexhaust port 17 are bothpreferably substantially equidistant from the head of the cylinder andlocated side by side at the lower front end of cylinder 3; the intakeconduit 18 leading-to port 16 and the pipe 19 leading from port 17. Thepiston 4c (see Fig. 3) is provided with a single passageway 20 leadingfrom the underside of the piston through the head 21 thereof to theinterior of the cylinder A, which passageway, when the piston has beenrotated as hereinafter described, is adapted during the admission andexhaust strokes of the piston to register respectively with the port 16and the port 17 and is adapted during the compression and explosionstrokes of the piston to be Covered by the portion 22 of the cylinder.

In order to permit of rotation of the piston i and at the same timeminimize the effect of end thrust, the piston rod 5 is preferablyconnected with the crosshead 6 as follows: The end portion of the pistonrod `passes freely through the crosspiece 23 of the erosshead as alsothrough the hardened bearing blocks 24 and 25 arranged respectively atthe front and rear sides of the crosspiece; the bearing blocks 24 beingheld in position by means of bolts 26 passing through a gland 27 fittingover a shoulder 28 on the piston rod and extending through bearing block25 and crosspiece 23 and threaded in bearing block 24. Adjacent tobearing block 24 is arranged the washer 29 and bearing thereagainst isthe nut 30 on the end of the piston rod. Ball raceways 31 and 32 withballs 33 disposed therein are respectively provided in the opposed sidesof shoulder 28 and bearing block 25 and in the opposed sides of bearingblock 24 and washer 29.

To permit of automatic rotation of the piston 4 to control the positionof the passageway 2O therein to open and close communication between theadmission and exhaust ports and the interior of the cylinder, themechanism preferably employed is as follows: An arm 34 secured at oneend thereof to piston rod 5 is provided at the other end thereof with asleeve 36 slidably mounted upon a rod 37, arranged in parallel with thepiston rod and which is provided at its ends with rollers 38 adapted totravel in the arc slots 39 in the brackets 40 which are suitably secured'to frame 2. Between the brackets 40 is arranged a yoke 41 provided witharms 42 connected with the rod 37 by means of sleeves 43 adjacent to thebrackets and also provided with a bifurcated head 44 and a roller 45 oneach bifurcation 46 adapted to travel in a groove 47 knear the perimeterof the cam 48 secured to the shaft 49 which is journaled in bearings 50and 51 respectively on frame 2 and brackets 40. On shaft 49 is secured aspiral gear wheel 52 which is adapted to mesh with a pinion 53 on shaft11; the pinion having one-half the number of teeth that are on the wheel52. Bracket guides 55 are adapted to steady the yoke 41 in its movement.

With the above described construction the engine may operate as follows:Assuming that the cam is rotated in the direct-ion indicated by thearrow in Fig. 8, then as the rollers 45 are traveling to port-ion 56 ofthe grooves 47 farthest from the axis of the cam the yoke 41 will moverod 37 and arm 34 upwardly and cause partial rotation of the piston rodto thereby bring the passageway 20 in the piston into alinement with theadmission port 16, where it remains until completion of the admissionstroke whereupon the rollers 45 travel to portion 57 of the grooveswhich is nearer the axis of the cam, and the rod v37 and arm 34 aremoved downwardly causing partial rotation of the piston rod and pistonto bring the passageway 20 into alinement with portion 22 of thecylinder, which latter covers it during thecompression and explosionstrokes of the piston; after which the rollers 45 travel to portion 58nearest to the axis of the cam, and the rod 37 and arm 34 are movedfarther downward causing partial rotation of the piston rod and pistonto bring the passageway 2O into alinement with exhaust port 17. Atcompletion of the exhaust stroke the rollers 45 again travel to portion56 of the grooves farthest from the axis of the cam and the piston rodand piston are again partially rotated to bring the passageway 20 intoalinement with the admission port to repeat the cycle of operationsabove described.

As will be noted (Figs. 3 and 6) the ports 16 and 17 are made oblong;they being considera-bly longer than wide, and the end of the passageway2O adjacent to the ports is also made oblong, the length thereofpreferably being such that the interior of the cylinder is incommunication with the ports 16 and 17 respectively during practicallythe whole of the admission and exhaust strokes of the piston whereby thecylinder may be effectively charged with the explosive mixture andwhereby the spent gas resulting from explosion of the mixture may beeectively exhausted from the cylinder, and whereby is minimized also thethrust on the connection between the piston rod and sliding crosshead tothereby diminish the power required to partially rotate the piston asabove set forth. It is to be understood that on account of the ports 16and 17 being made narrow the wear of the cylinder adjacent thereto isminimized; also it will be seen that the ports being on the forwardunderside of the cylinder t-he piston seats well thereover and keepsclean the interior wall of the cylinder adjacent thereto.

While one form of construction in which the invent-ion may be embodiedhas been illustrated and described, it will occur to those skilled inthe art that the particular construction admits of various changes andmodifications and the right is therefore reserved to all such changesand modifications as do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In a valve gear for an engine, the combination of a cylinder providedwith a port upon one side thereof, a piston mounted within the cylinderto have both a sliding and a rotary movement, the 'said piston beingformed with a laterally opening passage adapted to be turned into andout of registry with the before mentioned port, a piston rod projectingfrom the piston, a lateral arm rigid with the piston rod, a shaft havinga cam member thereon, means for driving the shaft, and an operativeconnection between the cam and the lateral arm for turning the piston.

2. In a valve gear for an engine, the combination of a cylinder providedin one side thereof vvith a port, a piston mounted Within the cylinderto have both a sliding and rotary movement, the said piston being formedWith a laterally opening passage adapted to be turned into and out ofregistry With the before mentioned port, a shaft having a cam memberthereon, an operative connection between the engine and the shaft fordriving the latter, and means actuated by the Cam member for rotatingthe piston.

3. In a valve gear for Van engine, the combination of a cylinderprovided in one side thereof with a port, a piston mounted Within thecylinder to have both a sliding and a rot-ary movement, the said pistonbeing formed With a laterally opening passage adapted to be turned intoand out of registry With the port, a piston rod projecting from thepiston, a movably mounted guide rod arranged parallel to the directionof movement of the piston, a lateral arm rigid with the piston rod andhaving a sliding connection with the guide rod, and means for moving theguide rod to rotate the piston. y

4. In a valve gear for an engine, the combination of a cylinder providedin one side thereof with a port, a piston mounted Within the cylinder tohave both a sliding and a rotary movement, the said pist-on being formedWith a laterally opening passage adapted to be turned into and out ofregistry with the port, a piston rod projecting from the piston, abracket provided With curved guide- Ways concentric With the axis of thepiston, a guide rod arranged parallel to the direction of movement ofthe piston and movably mounted upon the curved guideways of the bracket,a lateral arm rigid With the piston rod and having a sliding connectionWith the guide rod, and means for moving the guide rod to rotate thepiston.

5. Ina valve gear for an engine, the comment of the piston, a lateralarm rigid With the piston rod and having a sliding connection With theguide rod, a cam member, and means actuated by the cam member for movingthe Ouide rod to rotate the piston.

6. In a valve gear for an engine, the combination of a cylinder providedin one side thereof With a port, a piston mounted Within the cylinder tohave both a sliding and a rotary movement, the said piston being formedWith a laterally opening passage adapted to be turned into and out ofregistry with the said port, a piston rod projecting from the piston, amovably mounted guide rod arranged parallel to the direction of movementof the piston, a lateral arm rigid With the piston rod and having asliding connection With the guide rod, a shaft geared to the engine, acam member upon the shaft, and a member pivotally connected to the guiderod and engaging the cam member so as to move the guide rod and rotatethe piston.

7. In a valve gear for an engine, the combination of a cylinder providedin one side thereof With a port, a piston mounted Within the cylinder tohave both a sliding and a rotary movement, the said piston being formedwith a laterally opening passage adapted to be turned into and out ofregistry With the said port, a' piston rod projecting from the piston, amovably mounted guide rod arranged parallel to the direction of movementof the piston, a lateral arm'rigid With the piston rod and having asliding connection With the guide rod, a shaft parallel to the guiderod, means for driving the shaft, a cam member upon the shaft, and ayoke member, one end of the yoke member being pivotally connected to theguide rod While the opposite end has an operative connection with thecam member for moving the guide rod to rotate the piston.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing Witnesses at Los Angeles, county of LosAngeles, State of California, this 6th day of May, A. D. 1910.

` JOSEPH A. MENARD.

Witnesses:

ALEX CURRIE, ALEX. II. LIDDERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

